Your dog has diarrhea? Here’s what you can do!
Digestive problems and issues with the gastrointestinal tract can happen. Often, there’s nothing serious behind diarrhea in your dog, and it is usually gone within 1-3 days. Nevertheless, you should keep an eye on your beloved pet and if it doesn’t get better, take them to the veterinarian. Quick help for acute or even chronic diarrhea can only come from medications prescribed by veterinarians. However, if it’s not too severe, you can try to help your four-legged friend with the following 5 remedies for diarrhea in dogs and tips.
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Tip No. 1: Activated charcoal tablets
As a small first-aid measure for diarrhea, you can give your dog activated charcoal tablets. They bind toxins in the gastrointestinal tract and help transport them out more quickly.
But how many charcoal tablets are the right amount for dogs? The number of charcoal tablets or the activated charcoal needed to achieve a noticeable effect depends on your dog’s body weight. According to a rule of thumb, it’s 0.5 to 1 gram x your dog’s body weight. So if your four-legged friend weighs 10 kilos, that would be about 5 to 10g of activated charcoal that you would need to give them. For larger dogs, this can easily be a whole pack that your dog would need to consume, as a standard charcoal tablet contains only 250mg of activated charcoal.
Small tip: Just ask at your next veterinary visit how much activated charcoal would be necessary for your dog and stock your home pharmacy accordingly.
Tip No. 2: Fresh, clean water
Huh? Just give fresh, clean water? It sounds so simple, but it often isn’t. With diarrhea, your four-legged friend loses quite a bit of fluid, which in the worst case can lead to dehydration. That’s why it’s important that your dog drinks a lot. But as you might know from your own experience, you often don’t feel like drinking when it’s actually necessary.
Alternatively, you can also brew and give them some chamomile tea. Of course, not boiling hot, but cooled to room temperature.
Achte darauf, dass dein Hund ausreichend trinkt, wenn er Durchfall hat!
Tip No. 3: A day of fasting
Even though it sounds harsh, a fasting diet can help. This means: 24 hours of no food. And by no food, this also means no treats or other little snacks. Not even if your four-legged friend begs you with big hungry eyes. Fasting relieves the irritated intestines of your dog and prevents the body from losing water and worsening the diarrhea.
After that, you can give them special easy-to-digest food, which brings us directly to tip 4:
Tip No. 4: Provide easy-to-digest food
If your dog has fasted for 24 hours, they can eat something again. However, not the full amount and also not their usual food. But what is best to feed your dog when they have diarrhea?
If they have an irritated stomach, they should receive special easy-to-digest food (which is also tasty). Oatmeal mixed and soaked in water to make oat porridge is rich in fiber and can help your dog when they are suffering from diarrhea. Also, small (!) amounts of →banana can be binding and are suitable in moderation when dogs have diarrhea.
Typically, a healthy easy-to-digest diet consists of cooked chicken meat, very soft →cooked rice, and some cottage cheese, if your four-legged friend can tolerate lactose. Our special VET Stomach & Intestine Fit wet food helps with an irritated tummy and supports intestinal function through valuable fibers from carrots and psyllium husks.
Tip No. 5: Rest and relaxation
When someone is sick, they need rest - this also applies to our furry friends! Keep walks a bit shorter and calmer and adjust to your dog’s pace. Often, the body is weakened from diarrhea, and your four-legged friend simply needs a little longer for everything. If there are children in the household, explain to them that the dog is sick, and they should leave him alone and perhaps play a little quieter.
When should you go to the veterinarian?
If you’re unsure, you can of course visit a veterinarian at any time. Sometimes a phone call is enough. If your dog is not better after 3 days, you should definitely visit the practice.
Also, if your dog is a puppy or senior, you should immediately consult a veterinarian. For your puppy, you shouldn’t look for home remedies when they have diarrhea. The reason: Their gastrointestinal tract is not fully developed yet and can handle acute fluid loss poorly. In this case, diarrhea can quickly become dangerous, so you shouldn’t wait a few days. The same applies if your dog shows the following symptoms in connection with (watery) diarrhea:
- Blood in the stool
- →Vomiting
- Dog appears apathetic
- Trembling
- →Fever
- Not drinking enough or already suffering from dehydration
In any case: If you’re unsure, it’s better to visit the practice too often than too rarely! While the mentioned remedies for diarrhea in dogs can help, they do not replace a veterinary assessment of the situation.
[TRANSLATION ERROR] Bei älteren Hunden und Welpen solltest du direkt zum Tierarzt fahren, wenn dein Hund Durchfall hat!
Causes: Where does diarrhea in dogs come from?
What actually causes diarrhea in dogs? Diarrhea in our dogs can be triggered by many causes. Often it’s harmless, and your four-legged friend has eaten something outside or stolen something from the kitchen, their food doesn’t agree with them, or they caught something from their dog friends. Medications, vaccinations, or contaminated water, e.g., from puddles, can also be reasons for diarrhea in dogs.
Sometimes, however, there may also be an underlying illness such as a gastrointestinal virus, →giardia, or worms. Stress or extreme heat, especially in the →summer months, can also upset dogs’ stomachs.
Caution: You should be careful with →poison baits! If your dog picked something up outside and you couldn’t see what it was, keep a close eye on them! Some poisonings may not show symptoms until 1-2 days later, while others do so immediately. If your dog has →eaten something poisonous, quick action on your part and even quicker treatment by veterinary professionals is required.
